Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

Elon Musk wrote on social media platform X on August 11: "China is awesome. I strongly encourage people to visit." His mother soon responded: "I agree. Each city has its own charm with different cultural sites to see. Buildings and streets are clean and in good repair. Also, people are polite, hard-working, and respectful. I feel safe, so enjoy going to China."

As of the press time, Musk's post had garnered 2.5 million views within less than a day. In the comments, many users who had visited China shared their firsthand experiences. One wrote: "I've been to China this year for the first time and it blew my mind. Very technologically and infrastructurally advanced! People are curious and very friendly and the food is one of the best. China is nothing like what you would hear on the news."

Others in the comments, however, continued to repeat negative narratives that bear little relation to the realities of China. One post elicited two sharply different reactions: This reflects a striking phenomenon in today's international discourse. Perceptions of China have split into two worlds - the "real China," which is witnessed firsthand, and the "false China," constructed through hearsay.

Why has such a sharp divide emerged? The answer can be found on the very same platform, X. Just as Musk was recommending travel to China, the US Embassy in China once again issued a so-called "China travel warning," peddling groundless claims about "civil unrest in China, travel risks, lack of privacy and arbitrary detention of foreign nationals." Such distorted travel warnings are issued time and again. When certain Western governments and media outlets take turns acting as high-frequency "factories of China-related rumors," the persistence of this "factory of rumors" and its influence on audiences should not be underestimated.

Falsehoods may prevail for a time, but they cannot obscure the facts forever. Data from China's National Immigration Administration show that 22.914 million foreign nationals entered China in the first half of this year, up 20.4 percent year on year, with visa-free entries accounting for 77.7 percent of the total. The Global Soft Power Index 2026, released by UK consultancy Brand Finance, ranked China second globally, making it the only country in the top 10 to register an increase in its score. The latest survey by the Pew Research Center points to an even more significant shift: The share of people worldwide holding a favorable view of China significantly surpasses that of the US.

More and more ordinary people are stepping outside the one-dimensional narratives of Western media and forming more objective perceptions through firsthand travel. Visitors crossing mountains and oceans are experiencing a vibrant China for themselves: streets that remain safe at night, the convenience of using a single smartphone for virtually every aspect of daily life, widely available public spaces offering respite from the heat, a stable electricity supply, and a diverse way of life where traditional culture coexists with cutting-edge technology. The sense of security people experience in China has become a popular topic on overseas social media platforms. Scenes of unattended shops and lost belongings being successfully recovered challenge US lies.

The polarized debate sparked by Musk's post itself demonstrates why it is necessary to "visit China." Washington's continued issuance of distorted travel warnings is, in essence, driven by fears that once Americans see the real China for themselves, the negative narratives constructed over many years will begin to unravel. Many members of the US elite are well aware of China's social stability and peaceful lives, and have witnessed its prosperity and everyday conveniences firsthand, but some return home only to intensify their smear. The underlying reason is that they need to sustain the narrative of a "dangerous China" to serve domestic political agendas and geopolitical objectives. Those who approach China with preconceived biases may fail to see the truth no matter how extensively they travel across the country. 

Only by setting aside entrenched prejudices and viewing China on an equal footing can one truly understand the development and human warmth of this land.

Fortunately, spontaneous grassroots voices have long since broken through the boundaries of Western narrative control. From "China Travel" to "China Cool," and from "Becoming Chinese" to "Chinamaxxing," young people around the world are embracing aspects of everyday Chinese life on their own initiative and sharing what they actually see and experience through short videos. With no promotional packaging or scripted messaging, these firsthand experiences resonate with audiences around the world through unfiltered lenses, gradually dismantling stereotypes about China shaped by decades of one-sided Western media narratives, and becoming powerful tools for breaking through information cocoons.

Musk's suggestion to "visit China" is simple, but it gets to the heart of the matter. Recycled and outdated rumors, no matter how often they are repeated, won't stop the world from getting a closer look at China. Hopefully, more people overseas will set aside preconceived biases, visit this open and inclusive country for themselves, and see a China that is real, multidimensional and comprehensive.